


Trick Or Treat

by JuliaM (seshat0120)



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Friendship, Gen, Halloween, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, Magnificent Seven AU: ATF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27171025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seshat0120/pseuds/JuliaM
Summary: It's Halloween night and Chris is staying with Ezra while he recovers from a concussion and he learns a few things about his undercover agent.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	Trick Or Treat

Halloween had become one of the holidays Chris tried to avoid. The sight of little ones eagerly going door to door in search of treats reminded him too much of Adam. It had been easy to escape it since his ranch was too far out to attract very many children and that had been fine with him. This year, though, things were different. Whether he wanted to or not, he was taking part in the traditions of Halloween.

It hadn’t been his intention. His original plan was to spend the evening at home ignoring all the trappings of the holiday as he had the past several years. However, a raid on some moonshiners three days ago had put a monkey wrench in those plans.

Things had gone fine with the arrest right up until one of the suspects had decided not to go quietly. He’d lashed out at the nearest person, slamming him headfirst into a cinderblock wall. Unfortunately, that person had been Ezra who was knocked senseless resulting in a trip to the emergency room. He was diagnosed with a concussion, kept overnight for observation, and then released with strict orders to rest for the next week if he wanted the worst of the concussion symptoms to subside.

Since Ezra, like the rest of the members of Team Seven, seldom followed medical orders to rest, his friends had been taking turns staying with him to make sure he did. Chris had volunteered to take the Halloween night shift since he knew the others all had plans. Nathan and JD were taking Rain and Casey to a costume party. Buck had a date – not that that was different than most nights. Vin had volunteered to help at the children’s party at the rec center in Purgatorio and Josiah had gone along with him.

Chris has thought he’d have a quiet night of it. Since Ezra was still suffering with headaches from the concussion, he’d thought he wouldn’t want to do anything more than relax on the couch and, maybe, watch a movie. It had come as a surprise when Ezra had stated unequivocally that he also had plans for Halloween night and if Chris was going to insist on staying with him, he’d just have to go along with those plans. Chris never would have guessed that giving out candy to trick or treaters would be something that Ezra would eagerly look forward to. So, Chris found himself once more participating in Halloween.

“You’re kidding, right?” he asked as he looked at the bags of candy Ezra had put on the kitchen table in preparation for the night. He pulled a candy bar from the bag and held it up. “No one gives out full-sized bars. You know once wind of this gets out, every kid in a five-mile radius is going to be knocking your door down.”

Ezra took the Hershey bar from Chris’s hand and put in the large, colorfully decorated bowl he’d pulled from one of the kitchen cabinets. “It’s what I've always given out.” He started to pull a variety of different candy bars from the bags, adding them to the bowl. Feeling Chris’s gaze pinned on him, he looked up, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Is there a problem.”

Chris shook his head slightly, a small smile playing around his lips. “Nope. Seems like you’ve got experience doing this.” It was no secret that Ezra always had a great rapport with children and got along with them. Now that Chris thought about, it made sense that he’d go all out for them on Halloween. “You’re not going to put on a costume or anything, are you?” he asked half in jest. “Although a mask might not be such a bad idea to cover up your meeting with the wall.” Since only a few days had passed, the bruises on Ezra’s face from his abrupt meeting with the cinderblocks were still vivid.

“I considered doing so but I’m not sure I’m up for that tonight.” He fingered the bruise on his right cheekbone. “Perhaps the bruises won’t be so noticeable with the cover of darkness.”

“Still got a headache?” Chris didn’t have to ask the question. He could tell by the tight lines around Ezra’s eyes and the fact that he was keeping the lights as dim as possible that the concussion headache hadn’t abated yet. “You should be on the couch resting. Not running back and forth every time the doorbell rings. You **can** take a year off.”

Finished adding the candy to the bowl, Ezra mixed it up to make sure each child would have a variety. “Halloween only comes once a year. I won’t disappoint the children,” he said firmly although there was a hint of wistfulness.

Chris took the bowl of candy from Ezra and pointed to the couch. “Go. Sit. I’ll take care of this.” He wondered who had disappointed Ezra on Halloween or some other holiday.

Ezra looked mutinous for all of ten seconds before nodding and going to settle on the couch. If last year was anything to go by, he knew it was going to be a busy night. As Chris had said, once word got out, there’d be quite a parade of children at the door. It wouldn’t hurt to rest just a bit in hopes the vice grip on his head would lessen. “Put the outside light on so the children know we’re ready,” he reminded as Chris went out to the front hall to leave the bowl of candy on the small table by the door.

M7 M7 M7 M7 M7 M7 M7

Shortly after finishing preparations for the night, children had started ringing the doorbell. It started off as a trickle, but within less than thirty minutes, there’d been a steady stream. Ezra had only stayed sitting on the couch for a short time. The joyous calls of “trick or treat” had inevitably pulled him to the door. Although Chris knew his head was probably still bothering him, he didn’t let it show. If he seemed to feel any worse, Chris planned to shoo him back to the couch. For now, he’d let him have his fun.

Chris had watched as Ezra greeted each child, oohing and aahing over their costumes. It didn’t surprise Chris. What did surprise him was how many of the children knew Ezra by name calling him either Mr. Standish or Mr. Ezra. Ezra, in return, seemed to know many of the children as well as he also addressed them by name and inquired how their schoolwork was going and how their families were. One little girl, dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, eagerly pulled the napkin back from the basket she had to show off her new puppy. Although not a terrier the little beagle was filling the part of Toto. Ezra obligingly patted the pup on the head as he dropped candy in the girl’s pumpkin.

After a little over two hours and two refills, the candy bowl was nearly empty for the second time. Ezra sent Chris to the kitchen to get the rest that he’d stashed away while he continued to man the door.

As he ripped open the packages, Chris heard the doorbell ring and hoped what Ezra had in the bowl would be enough until he got there with the replenishment. He had to admit, although he’d been dreading this night, he was having almost as much fun as Ezra was. He couldn’t decide if it was the parade of excited children or the joy they brought out in his normally buttoned-up and oh-so-suave undercover agent.

“This is the end of it,” Chris called out as he walked out of the kitchen. “We may have to close up shop…,” he trailed off when he saw Ezra frozen at the open door. Although he couldn’t see the children, he could hear frightened and concerned voices asking if Ezra were ok. Reaching him, Chris could see that his face had lost nearly all color. The bowl with the candy had been dropped to his feet, and he was shaking. Concerned that his friend was having some type seizure or something because of the concussion, he put an arm around him to support him. After reassuring the children he’d take care of Ezra, he shut the door.

“Ezra,” he said loudly when his friend continued to stare at the closed door. He could feel a slight tremor going through him. He called his name loudly two more times before Ezra pulled a quick intake of breath and turned to look at him.

“Chris?” Ezra questioned with a slight tremor to his voice.

“You back with me?” Chris gently guided Ezra to the couch and pushed him down on it. He was just reaching for his phone when Ezra reached out a shaking hand and stopped him.

“Please don’t. I’m ok now. It was just...LeeAnne, the young lady who accompanied the children...she...” Ezra seemed flustered and embarrassed as he searched for words. “She surprised me,” he finally finished.

Chris thought back to who had been at the opened door. Although he’d only had a quick look, he remembered an older girl who was with the young children. “You mean the clown?” He was mystified as to what it was about the girl that could have affected Ezra as it had.

“Yes. The...the...cl...clown,” Ezra stammered. He kept his gaze locked on the floor refusing to meet Chris’s eyes. His face flushed red and he refused to say anything else.

Chris stared at Ezra for a few seconds before asking as carefully as possible, “Are you afraid of clowns?” He’d heard of the phenomenon before but had never actually met anyone with that particular fear.

If it were possible, Ezra’s face reddened even more in embarrassment as he nodded his head. “I’d hoped not to have share that,” he said softly. He chanced a glance in Chris’s direction prepared to see his boss amused by his admission. Instead, Chris looked as serious as he did. “I suppose I should be grateful you’ve found out my secret and not Buck or one of the others.”

“Spiders,” Chris said simply. When he saw Ezra’s brow furrow in confusion, he clarified, “Buck’s terrified of spiders. I was saw him spot one no bigger than a pencil eraser and he let out this high-pitched yelp and jump about three feet straight in the air. You would have thought it was a tarantula or black widow or something.”

“So, you’re not going to...laugh,” Ezra asked cautiously.

Chris just shrugged. “We’re all afraid of something. I’d be curious to find out why, though.”

Before either man said anything, the doorbell rang as more trick or treaters arrived. When Ezra started to get up, Chris waved him back to the couch. “You stay put. I’ll take care of this, then I’m turning out your porch light. I think you’ve had enough excitement for one night considering you are recovering from a concussion.”

“Very well,” Ezra agreed. Truth be told, as much as he’d been enjoying seeing the children, he was getting weary. The reminder of his old fear had also seemed to ratchet up the throbbing in his head. Unconsciously, he began to rub his temples hoping that would ease what felt like a vice tightening around his head.

When Chris came back from answering the door, he saw Ezra sitting with his head back against the cushions massaging his hand across his head. He detoured to the kitchen to get a glass of water and some Tylenol since Ezra hadn’t taken any in a while. “Try this,” he said nudging his friend’s shoulder when he came back with them.

Ezra straightened up when he felt Chris’s hand and accepted the pills and the water. “Thank you.” He swallowed the two Tylenol followed by several sips of water. “It started when I was four,” he said as he leaned forward to put the glass on the coffee table.

“What?” Chris asked caught off guard by the seeming non-sequitur. He didn’t think Ezra meant the headache.

Ezra lazily waved a hand in the air. “The clown thing. It started when I was about four.”

“Oh.” Chris took a seat in the armchair that was kitty corner to the couch where Ezra sat. He tried not to sound eager but, like the rest of the team, he was always curious to hear nuggets of Ezra’s childhood since he tended to keep most of it a secret.

“We were visiting my...um...father’s family just outside of Boston... “The Northerners” as Grandfather Lebeau insisted on calling them.” As he mentioned his grandfather, Ezra’s mouth turned down in a frown. We stayed with my father’s eldest sister, Aunt Vera.” In contrast to when he spoke of his grandfather, when he mentioned his aunt, Ezra’s faced softened and he smiled slightly.

“I take it Aunt Vera was a favorite.”

“She was…is,” Ezra responded with a nod and more of a smile. “She was a teacher. She’s retired now. She never married and had no children.” He let out a small chuckle. “I guess she was the stereo typical spinster aunt. She treated me and my cousins as if we were her children. She spoiled us something terrible.”

“Sounds like she took being an aunt seriously,” Chris said as he also smiled. If it was seldom Ezra spoke of his childhood, it was even rarer that he talked about good memories. Even if this was leading into why he had such an all-consuming fear of clowns, it was still starting off as a good memory.

“She did. While we were there, she decided Mother and Father needed to have a “date night”, as she called it, and that she and I would go off to the circus to give them their time. I think she just wanted an excuse to take me to the circus,” he laughed. “Aunt Vera made the whole thing into an adventure. Since she didn’t drive, we took public transportation to the Boston Garden where the circus was. We were living in Charleston at the time and I’d never seen anything like the subway.” Again, Ezra chuckled. “I think I would have been perfectly happy to keep riding the that train all night.”

“Sounds like you had a great time.”

“For the most part, I did. Aunt Vera got us the best seats – first row, right in the center. I was enthralled with the animals and the acrobats and Aunt Vera kept me supplied with a never-ending stream of cotton candy, peanuts, popcorn...every food you could think of at a circus.”

“Sounds like every kid’s dream. So, what happened.”

“The clown car,” Ezra answered. “It pulled into the center ring and all these clowns came out of it. At first, I thought it was funny but then, suddenly, one of them was right there in front of me. I could have reached out squeezed his red nose if I were of a mind. Instead, I started screaming in terror. I threw my bag of popcorn all over the gentleman seated beside me and grabbed Aunt Vera in a vice grip around her neck. I kept screaming and crying.” He shrugged slightly. “I’m not sure what it was about that clown that frightened me so, but I wanted to leave at that exact moment. Poor Aunt Vera. She had no choice but to carry me out of there. That was no easy feat since we were in the middle of the row. She had to excuse herself past everyone as she toted a terrified, screaming child out of there. I remember crying most of the trip back to Aunt Vera’s.”

“I can see how that can stick with you,” Chris said.

“Ah, but that wasn’t the end of it. When I was ten, my then stepfather decided a visit to a haunted house was a necessity for the Halloween season. I so wanted to impress him. I felt if I did, Mother would be less inclined to send me to boarding school or leave me with one of our many relatives.” Ezra took a deep breath and leaned forward picking up the glass of water. He took a sip from it before continuing his tale. “Little did I realize one of the denizens of this particular haunted house would be a homicidal clown wearing nearly the same face as the one from the circus. He jumped out at us wielding a hatchet and while most around us may have taken a quick breath at the suddenness of it and then laughed, I froze in terror as the fears from the circus came crashing back to me. I grasped my stepfather’s arm and fearfully requested that we leave. Unfortunately, he was not as accommodating as Aunt Vera had been. He forced me to go through the rest of the haunted house demanding that I stop acting like a ‘scaredy cat’. It was his belief that a “real man” didn’t show any fear.” The way Ezra spoke seemed to put quotations around certain words.

“As you can probably surmise, that turned into an unmitigated disaster. I ended becoming more and more frightened; crying and attempting to cling to him as I continually begged to leave. He was not pleased with me and didn’t hesitate to let me know. He had a whole plethora of names he called me all amounting to him thinking I was nothing but a craven coward. The entire drive home, he berated me telling me I was nothing but a momma’s boy and a sissy and that I’d never amount to anything if I feared my own shadow. According to him, it was in my best interest to learn how to hide that unless I wanted to make a mockery out of him and Mother. Since then, I’ve had an abiding fear of clowns.” He set the glass back on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch cushions again. “I’m not very fond of haunted houses either.”

“Wow. Your step-father sounds like he was a real charmer.” Chris was discovering that each time Ezra chose to share a bit more of his past, it uncovered yet another unexpected layer. It seemed this incident from his past probably had a lot to do with why he so frequently hid what he was feeling.

“Fortunately, Mother quickly grew weary of him. She got what she wanted from him and then it was on to the next.” A small shrug conveyed that Ezra felt no great loss. “I’ve always done my utmost to avoid anything with clowns. As unseemly as it may have been to be frightened of them when I was ten, as a grown adult, it’s rather childish. I’ve never had quite to visceral a reaction as I did tonight.” He shrugged delicately. “Perhaps it’s the lingering concussion.”

“Probably,” Chris agreed. “But you shouldn’t be ashamed of your fears.” Chris saw his friend try to hold back a yawn and rub at his temples yet again. “You really should try to get some rest.” He held up a hand to forestall Ezra from saying anything else. “Before you say it’s too early for bed, at least stretch out on the couch and close your eyes for a while and let those Tylenol work. I’ll get a cold cloth to put across your eyes.”

“Your idea may have some merit.” Ezra pulled off his shoes before stretching out on the couch. He murmured his thanks when Chris draped the cold cloth across his face a moment later. This was the first time he’d confessed his fear of clowns or told anyone about the haunted house incident. Somehow, it made him feel lighter to have done so. It didn’t take long before he felt himself drifting toward sleep. “I assume you’ll keep my confidence regarding my coulrophobia, Mr. Larabee?” he softly questioned.

Chris took the blanket that was folded over the couch and spread it across his friend. “You have my word; I’ll keep the information filed away along with Buck’s arachnophobia and my triskaidekaphobia.”

“Mmmm,” Ezra murmured. A smile came to his face as he now knew what Chris’s secret fear was. As close to sleep as he was, though, it never occurred to him that Chris had told him about Buck’s fear of spiders and may one day reveal his fear of clowns if the need arose.


End file.
